Health Bill vanishes

The list of Bills included in the Queen’s Speech in the final session of Parliament before the general election in 2010 was shorter than predicted.

One casualty, no longer on the list, is the Health Bill, guaranteeing cancer patients in England a consultation within two weeks, a free health check for all over-40s and that nobody will have to wait more than 18 months between a GP referral and hospital treatment.

The omission from the list means that if it ever becomes reality, it will not be before 2011.